Dredging apparatus



- March 5, 1929. s. c. DUNN 1,704,181

DREDGING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 192'? )2 Sheets-Sheet l Syrws film/rm,

Attomqy Inventor March 5, 1929. s. c. DUNN 1,704,181

DREDGING APPARATUS 1 116 11111 5, 192'? 2 S heets-Sheet 2 a 9 l4 0 6 2 Jn p/ 1. 34" I v '21 75 29 I 1 [I 1' "33 1| I H i 3/ I l 74 /Z 24 1: 7 il5 i 9 E l 'l 73 II i 23 a a] Inventor S yruds C Dunn Attorngy PatentedMar. 5, 1929.

onirEoSTATEs SYRUS C. DUNN, OF MARION, ARKANSAS.

DREDGING APP RATUS.

Application filed hugust 3, 1927. Serial No; 210,399.

Thisinvention relates to a drec ging apparatus for river beds andcomprises a pinrality of river bed digging blades rotatably mouhted on ashaft and operated through a drag wheel adapted to travel overthe riverbed and carriedby a boat arranged on the surface of the waterwherebyupon the movement oi? the boat the digging blades will loosen thesediments formed on the bed or" the river so that the same may beconveyed downsteam'by the river current. i

A. further objectis to arrange hoisting means on the boat andattachableto the drag wheel an d shaft carrying the diggers whereby toraise or lower the same out of nient with the river bed when so desiredor to permit the adjustment thereof for digging operations atvaryingdepths. V

A further object isto attach a drag to the frame supporting the diggerblades and drag wheel and adapted to engage obstacles or someobstruction in the river bed for the purpose of removing thesaine'thereirom; A 'further'objoct is to provide a-device or thischaracter of simpleand practical construction, strong and'durable eilicent and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufactureand install upon a conventional type oi boat, and otherwise well adaptedto the purpose for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the special construction andcombination oi the various elements forming the invention, withreference to the accompanying drmvmgs, wherein Figure l a sideelevational view of one end of a boat showing the. appa 'atus inoperative position for dredging a river bed.-

Figure 2 isa perspective view of the drag wheel hoisting hook. I t IFigure 3 is a similar view of the axle tor the drag wheels. 7

Figure 4 is a top plan v ew of the apparatus.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view through the digging blade shaftshowing one set oi such blades in elevation carriedthere on, and,

through the drag wheel showing the manner of attaching the gear thereto.I

Referring now to the drawing in detailwherein for the purpose ofillustration 1 have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, Iprovide a boat indicated at cured a bull gear 12;

' provide a plurality ofsets o same there Fi ure 6 is a fragmentarysectional view O i i f o 1 '1 A1) 2L are also provided for at ac nng totn 5 of any suitable construction adapted to float upon the surface of ariver or other stream, at one end of which is secured a pair of bearingbrackets ,6 adapted to securea transversely extending rod '7 to theboat, with each end of the rod extending outwardly at opposite sides ofthe boat andarranged to be inserted in one of the openings 8 formed in apair of shaft members 9 which are pivotally carried on the ends of saidrod and extending outwardly beyond the end of the boat with the outerends'thereof connected by an axle l0 ateach end of which is rotatablymounted a dragwheel 11 arranged to travel along the rived bed. z

Atflone side of each of the wheels 11 is see iitably secured to thespokes oil the wheel by, U-b0ltsfl3 and en'- gaging smaller spur 14%mounted on opposite ends oi a square shaped shaft 15,

the ends 160i said shaft being journaled in openings formed in supports17'" pivotally carried on theaxlelO. I Y I At spaced intervals alon" heshaft 15 I di erlblades 18, said blades being carried at the ends ofarcuate shaped arms 19' extending radially from the shaft and having theends of the arms carrying the blades extending in a di-,

rectionof movement of the boat.

On the outer end of the axle 10 I pivotally attach one end of supportingarmsQO with the opposite ends thereof supporting a transversely disposedrod 21 upon which is arranged a plurality of drag teeth 22 at spacedintervals thereon and arranged to be dragged alongtho bed of the riv i wwith subino reed objects so as to reinii ve the Tlhe'shait 21 is adaptedto be engaged by a pair ofhooks 28 secured at the ends of a transverselydisposed hoisting arm 24 to which is attached a cable 25 extendingupwardly over a drum 26 mountedfupon a frame '27 arranged on the deckofthe boat. v A crank 28 is attached to the drum whereby to hoist thecable 25 upwardly and thus aise the drag 22from the river bed.

Hoisting hooks similar inconstruction to that provided ior attachingtothe drag rod digger blade shaft 15 and the dragwheel axle 10 and havingcables 29 and 30 attached respectively thereto for winding upon separatedrums 31 and 32 respectively by cranks 33 and 3st. In this manner, thedrag rod 21, the digging blade shaft 15 and the drag Wheel axle 10 maybe separately adjusted at different elevated positions.

In the operation of the device, as the boat 5 travels along the surfaceof the Water, the dredging apparatus is lowered there f'r'on i until thedrag Wheels 11 engage the bed of the stream thereby causing the rotationthereof and by reason of the connection of the digger blade shaft 15through the gears Iii-and leithe shaftlowill thus be rotated in adirection opposite from the Wheel so as to cause the blades to dig intothe river bed in a direction opposite to the travel of the boat and thusform a positive means of loosening the sediment therefrom. The same isthen permitted to be carried down stream through the action of thecurrent oi the Water.

Any submerged obstruction lyingalong the river bed will be engaged bythe drugs 22 and hoisted to the deck of the boat for removal.

It is obvious that my invention is susceptible to various changes in theconstruction thereof, Without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention as hereinaiter claimed or sacrificing any of advantages, and Iaccordingly claim all such forms of the device to which I am entitled.

I claim a 1. In a river bed dredging apparatus, a boat having a pair ofshafts pivotally attached at opposite sides thereof, an axle carried atone end of the shaft, 'wh'eels rotatably mounted on the axle, gearsconnected to said Wheels, a rotatable shaft, shaft supports connectingthe same with said axle, gears carried by the. shaft operatively engagedwith the first named gears, a plurality of digger blades carried by saidshaft, digging elements carried thereon and extendingin a directionopposite to the movement of the boat, 'a drag rod having a pluralityOftil elements attached thereto, supportii'ig rods for said drag rodpivotally attaching the same to the Wheel axle, and cables attached tothe drag rod, to the shaft, and to the axle and selectively operablefrom the boat Whereby tove rtically adjust the same.

2. A. water h'ed dredging ap aratus comprising supporting means movableon the surface of the Water, a pair oi rotating elements including a bedengaging element operableupon the movement of the supporti means and abed digging element operatively connected to said first named element, asupporting frame for said first nan'ied element adjustably attached tothe supporting means, a rake pi'votally carried by said supporting frameand disposed rear- Wardly-of the rotating elen'ient and means operablefrom the supporting means for selectively adjusting said rotatingelements and said rake vertically. V

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

'SYRUS o. DUNN.

